Agitator for vacuum cleaner rug nozzles



1960 c. STEVENS 2,921,331

AGITATOR FOR VACUUM CLEANER RUG NOZZLES Filed D60. 27. 1955 4g 4.4" .5. w a

CLARENCE STEVENS 45 INVENTOR.

HUEBNE/PJEEHLEE .23 l WORREL a HERZ/G, X2 ATTORNEYS.

United States Patent f AGITATOR FOR VACUUM CLEANER RUG NOZZLES Clarence Stevens, Cucamonga, Calif., assignor to The Filtex Corporation, Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of Michigan Application December 27, 1955, Serial No. 555,579

3 Claims. (Cl. 15-365) The invention relates to suction cleaners and has particular reference to a rug nozzle or rug tool which is adapted to be moved along the floor covering in contact therewith to direct dirt into the suction passage. More particularly the invention relates in general to rug nozzles incorporating a valve agitator member similar to that disclosed in Patent No. 2,157,077.

The suction cleaner industry has long been confronted with certain problems in picking up dirt, namely, the provision of a rug tool capable of agitating the nap of a rug sufficient to dislodge dirt in the nature of lint and hair without at the same time disturbing the nap to such an extent that the nap is worn and drawn into the suction cleaner. It has long been known that various types of agitators are sufficient to dislodge lint and hair to enable them to be lifted by the cleaner. Various devices have been resorted to including brushes and serrated combs, the brush or comb following generally similar patterns though applied each in its turn to the particular style of rug nozzle in use by the improver. Among the difliculties has been that of providing an agitator sufficient to loosen lint and hair when that occasion is encountered but which can be adjusted to remove the line and hair agitator throughout most periods of use when the cleaning of lint and hair and such types of dirt presents no problem. It is common knowledge that in the vast majority of instances ordinary suction cleaning is sufiicient. Most of the dirt sought to be cleaned comprises deep-seated dirt which falls into the interstices between the nap elements and eventually lodges near the backing of the rug. Suc- 7 tion cleaning is devoted to lifting the nap slightly, thereby to part the nap particles by force of suction, which suction at the same time lifts the deep-seated dirt. When this action is desired, no special agitator is requisite.

Smooth-surfaced agitators tend to wear the rug to a far i at the same time provided with a simple effective adjustment permitting the operator to change the roughened agitator to a smooth-surfaced agitator for average use.

Another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rug nozzle or rug tool of the valved agi tator type which can be so adjusted that a roughened surface is applied alternately with a smooth surface to the nap of a rug to be cleaned, the movement of the agitator being such that the roughened surface is in contact for only a short period of the cycle insuflicient to damage the rug, although sufficient to loosen the fibrous dirt so that a smooth surface of the agitator is in contact 2,921,331 Patented Jan. 19, 1960 most of the time, thereby minimizing wear and tear on the rug.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rug nozzleof the valved agitator type wherein the agitator can be quickly and conveniently set in any one of three different positions, namely, a position wherein the roughened surface only contacts the rug, a position where a smooth surface only contacts the rug, and a third position wherein the agitator is adapted to roll as well as shift, the rolling being between positions wherein the roughened part is on the rug and a position wherein the smooth part is on the rug.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a new and improved rug nozzle or rug tool of the valve agitator type wherein the passages for suction air at the face of the rig tool are so arranged as to improve the lifting of both deep-seated dirt and especially surface dirt which may be loosened by action of the agitator.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the device whereby the objects contemplated are attained, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the appended claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

' Figure 1 is a bottom plan view of a rug tool.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view looking down upon the device showing the adjustment for the agitator in one of its positions.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary plan view partially in section 'looking down upon the adjusting means for the agitator and showing the agitator in another position of adjustment. a

Figure 5 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 5-5 of Figure 4. v

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the end of the agitator made use of in adjustment.

Figure 7 is a cross-sectional view taken on the line 7-7 of Figure 3.

Figure 8 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view similar to Figure 7 showing a modified structure.

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional view on the line 99 of Figure 8.

In the form of the device chosen for the purpose of illustration, the rug tool or rug nozzle consists of a body, indicated generally by the reference character 10, on the lower side of which is a floor contacting face 11, as viewed in Figure 2. The body extends over the entire breadth of the rug tool and has attached thereto a handle socket 12 an end 13 of which fits into a suitable aperture 14. Arcuate edges 15 and 16 are positioned to slide over an arcuate upwardly extending protrusion 17 of a rug foot 18. Within the rug foot is an air suction passage 19 through which air passes into an intermediate passage 2% in its travel to a suction passage 21 in the handle socket. Details of the connection are revealed in greater particular in said Patent No. 2,157,077 and do not form a part of the present invention.

The rug foot 18 is provided with a cushion recess 22 around its perimeter in which is positioned a cushion 23 of some resilient soft material. The rug foot is secured to the body by means of screws 24 located as.illustrated in Figure 1. It should further be noted that the rug contacting face 11 has a recessed portion 28 extending from the plane of the rug contacting face upwardly at a very slight oblique angle and over a portion of the width of the rug foot, as more clearly shown in Figure 1. In operation this is the forward side .of the rug tool. The remaining portions of the rug contacting with ends of the notch 31.

face are on substantially the same plane, which face rides parallel to the rug in normal operation.

Approximately midway between the side edges and also midway between forward and rear edges is a suction air pocket 26. The suction air pocket 26 is considerably longer than its width and has communicating therewith at each end an obliquely extending slot 27 communicating by war of a narrow inlet 27' with the atmosphere adjacent a forward corner 29. The obliquely extending slots are comparatively shallow and are designed to reach into corners when the tool. is operated. Air passes through the slots 27 to the suction air pocket as does also air finding its way around the edges of the slots 27 and edges of the suction air pocket 26.

Intermediate ends of the suction air pocket is a suction air opening 30 which in turn communicates with the air suction passage 19 previously referred to. The suction air opening is bounded on its forward long side by a deep notch 31. On the long side opposite the deep notch 31 is a dam 32. It will be noted that the dam 32 is several times wider than the material in which the notch 31 is cut and further that the lower face of the dam 32 lies substantially in the plane of the rug contacting face 11. Narrow end flanges 33 and 34 complete the perimeter of the suction air opening and join ends of the dam 32 The positioning of the notch and the flanges provides a relatively narrow passage along the notch and rather wide pockets adjacent the flanges.

By reason of positioning the dam 32 close to the rug in operating position, that portion of the air which may pass under the dam will spread out over the entire area and filter its way through the nap of the rug or carpet but with considerable effect because of being confined to' a narrow passage.

Parallel to and co-extensive with the suction air pocket 26 is an air bypass slot which communicates with a bypass passage 41 located above the bypass slot in the body whereby an additional quantity of air is adapted to pass downwardly through the bypass passage into the bypass slot from which point it is adapted to be drawn under the dam 32 and into the air suction passage 19. The bypass slot may appropriately be designated a valve slot in that there is provided in the slot an agitator 42, the action of which is in the nature of a valve. The agitator, being of lesser width than the width of the slot 40, is adapted to shift bodily from one side of the slot to the other. The agitator 42, when moved by motion of the rug tool in sweeping to a position adjacent the dam 32, serves to cut oif the passage of bypass air from access to the suction air opening. When movement of the rug tool in an opposite direction shifts the agitator 42 to the opposite side of the slot 40, bypass air is free for access to the dam 32 under which it is adapted to pass into the suction air pocket and then to the suction air opening.

In considering the valving agitator 42 it is important to note that the agitator is capable of a number of adjustments. When the floor contains litter difiicult for the suction air to lift, it is helpful to have the litter agitated and pulled loose from the nap of the rug or carpet. It has long been known that roughening the surface of a suction cleaner in some fashion will accomplish this result. Although a number of different types of roughened surfaces are permissible, one only is shown and comprises a diamond pattern of grooves or notches extending from one side of the agitator to the other, the diamond pattern being indicated by the reference character 43. It will further be apparent, particularly from an examination of Figures 2 and 6, that the diamond pattern covers materially less than one-half the surface of the agitator, the coverage being more in the nature of about one-third or less. This is for the purpose of permitting the agitator to be adjusted to a position where the roughened surface will be entirely removed from a floor-contacting position. Hence the remaining portion 44 of the agitator is entirely smooth surfaced.

To hold the agitator in any one of its several positions of adjustment there is provided a lock finger 45. The lock finger is an irregularly shaped element, an inner end 46 of which is pivotally secured by a screw 47 to a portion 48 of the body which is immediately adjacent one end of the suction air pocket and the appropriate end of the agitator 42. A spring washer 49 between the finger and the head of the screw places a slight pressure upon the finger so that it may be held in an adjusted position.

At the adjacent end of the agitator 42 there is provided a casting 50 from which projects an axial round projection 51 forming a stub shaft. On one side of the axial projection and extending over a portion only of its length is a boss 52 having one fiat face 53 on one side and another fiat face 54 on the opposite side of the boss and parallel to the flat face 53. The boss and the axial projection are adapted to be received upon a fiat area 55 of a confining portion 56 of the body. The boss and axial projection are held between the flat area 55 and the lock finger 45.

At the opposite end of the agitator 42 is another round axial projection 57 which is rotatably and slidably held beneath a pin 57, that is to say, between the pin 57' and a flat portion 59 of the body. Mounted as described, both axial projections are free to slid in their mountings permitting the agitator 42 to shift bodily from one side to the other of the bypass slot 40 to effect the valving action already described.

When the lock finger 45 is in the position shown in Figures 3 and 7, the lock finger holds only the round axial projection 51 in consequence of which the agitator 42 is free to rotate to a certain limited extent; that is to say, the agitator can rotate from a position where the fiat face 53 lies against the flat area 55 to a position wherein the fiat face 54 lies against the same flat area 55. This is a rotation of almost degrees. The projection 57, being round, is permissive of free rotation. Hence, when the agitator is in the position wherein the flat face 53 would lie against the flat area 55, namely, the-position of Figure 2, wherein the diamond Or roughened pattern lies facing the rug, the agitator can be rotated almost 180 degrees or to the position wherein the smooth surface 44 lies against the rug. At the other extreme position when the smooth surface lies adjacent the rug, the fiat face 54 will contact the fiat area 55 and stop rotation of the agitator in that position. Hence, as the rug tool is moved back and forth during a cleaning operation, the agitator will not only shift back and forth bodily across the bypass slot 40, but will also rotate alternately between a position rough surface to the rug and for extended positions smooth surface to the rug. As the rug tool is pulled from left to right, as viewed in Figure 2, rotation of the agitator will take place in a clockwise direction, the roughened portion very quickly rotating out of rug contacting position permitting air passing through the bypass passage and bypass slot to effectively pass under the dam 32 carrying with it surface litter which has been loosened from the nap of the rug during a forward or right to left movement of the rug tool with the roughened surface presented to the rug. This alternating movement is highly effective in thoroughly cleaning surface litter in that the litter is first loosened from the rug, after which it is permitted to lie in its loosened position, undisturbed by the smooth side of the agitator, until a quick controlled blast of air through the bypass slot carries the litter into position to be picked up by the suction air blowing through the suction air opening.

On some special occasions a considerable scrubbing of the rug might be necessary, as in the case of a matting of the nap of the rug by dirt. Although scrubbing is to be avoided as much as possible in the interest of avoiding wearing out the rug, nevertheless a certain limited amount for such scrubbing action, the agitator is rotated to a position rough side to rug. In that position the flat face 53 will be in contact with the flat area 55, namely, a position exactly reverse to that illustrated in Figure 7. With the agitator in that position, the lock finger 45 is moved from a position of abutment against a pin 58 ha clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 3 and 4. The new position will be the solid line position of Figure 4 which is also shown in endwise view in Figure 5. In that. new position a downwardly bent portion45' of the lock finger will contact the fiat face 54 of the boss 52 and prevent the agitator from being rotated. The agitator will, however, be permitted to shift bodily from side to side in the bypass slot 40 while the scrubbing action takes place.

As soon as the rug has been scrubbed sufiiciently the agitator can be released to its previous position of adjustment by rotating the lock finger 45 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Figures 3 and 4.

Most rug cleaning operations, however, are conducted with the smooth side of the agitator in. contact with the rug since surface litter as well as deep-seated dirt can usually be removed by suction action alone. To lock the agitator in position smooth side to the rug, the agitator is rotated, to the position shown in Figure 7, namely, a position wherein the fiat face 54 is in contact with the flat area 55. While in that position the lock finger 45 is again moved in a clockwise direction, as viewed par ticularly in Figure 3. In its new position the downwardly bent portion 45' of the lock finger will overlie and contact the flat face 53 and thereby hold the flat face 54 in contact with the flat area 55 in order to prevent rotation of the agitator out of its position wherein the smooth surface 44 lies in contact with the rug. In that position the agitator continues to be free to shift bodily from one side to the other of the bypass slot to facilitate the valving action for which the particular rug tool has been designed.

It will be noted that for convenience an outer end 60 of the lock finger is located immediately above but inward from the outer edge of the cushion 23. Positioned at this location the outer end of the finger is readily accessible for adjustment by the operator and at the same time is protected by the cushion from being bent or damaged as the rug tool is used. Since the agitator shifts and rotates with considerable freedom, adjustment to any one of these three positions can be readily and easily accomplished by any operator. The device incorporating the adjustment, moreover, is relatively simple and necessitates but very minor changes in the rug tool already in substantially widespread commercial use. Assembly is accomplished by merely placing the agitator in its position in the slot and thereafter attaching the lock finger by means of its single retaining screw 47. The lock finger, however, cannot be readily disturbed by the average operator in that it is confined within the housing after the housing parts have been assembled.

Operation of a rug tool so equipped with an agitator having three distinct adjustments is a marked advantage in that virtually any dirt condition on a rug or carpet is within the ability of the rug tool to clean.

Occasions may arise, however, where it may be disadvantageous to make available to the average user a rug tool which it is possible to adjust in such a position that the roughened surface is maintained constantly in a rug contacting position. This is for the reason that certain types of carpets contain loops which might be caught by the agitator and not all operators can be depended upon to be sufiiciently cautious in handling the device. Accordingly the structure may be modified to the degree illustrated in Figures 8 and 9. As there shown an agitator 42' is provided with a special casting 65, the upper portion of which in the position shown in Figure 8 protrudes outwardly in the path of the lock finger 45. Accordingly the agitator cannot be locked in a position wherein the diamond'pattern :43 is held in floor contacting position.' 'Although it can roll to that position" at one extreme end' of-a forward stroke of theentire nozzle, it will immediately roll out of that position as soon as movement of the nozzle is reversed.

As shown theaxial projection 51' permits unrestricted rotation of the agitator held as it is beneath the finger 45. 1 i

Sothat the rolling of the'agitator will be stopped a boss 61 at the opposite end "or theagitator impinges against the flat portion 59 of the body with every degree rotation of the agitator 'By providing a cutaway portion 66 in the confined'portion 56 of the body, the enlarged portion of the casting 65 is permitted free rotation within the approximate 180-degree arc.

In this form of the device the agitator can be anchored with the smooth side 44 in regular contacting position by'shifting the finger 45 from right toleft over the flat area, of the casting in the manner already described.

While I have herein shown and described my invention in what I have conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it"is recognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of my invention, which is not to be limited to the details disclosed herein but is to beaccorded the full scope of the claims so as to embrace any and all equivalent devlces. Y

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A s uction'cleaning rug tool compri sing a body having a'rug contacting-face'gan elongated air pocket in said face, suction passage means from said air pocket through the body, a secondary elongated slot in said face parallel to the air pocket and communicating through the body with the atmosphere, and a dam between the air pocket and said slot having the plane of its lower surface coincident with the plane of the rug contacting face whereby air flowing under said dam is directed into the nap of the rug, and a rug engaging agitator narrower in width than the width of the slot and mounted in the slot for sliding movement from the side of the slot adjacent the dam for engagement therewith thereby increasing the resistance to air passing under said dam to the other side of the slot remote from said dam, axial projections at the ends of the agitator and projectionreceiving means rotatably retaining said projections, said agitator having a rough surface on one side and a smooth surface on the other side, lock-engaging means on the agitator adapted to rotate with the agitator, and lock means on the body movable to and from position operatively associated with the lock engaging means on the agitator whereby the agitator is maintained alternatively in any one of three positions comprising a position rough side to the rug, a position smooth side to the rug, and a rolling position alternating between said first two positions.

2. A suction cleaner rug tool comprising a body having a transversely extending floor contacting face having lateral ends and forward and rear sides, means forming an elongated suction opening intermediate the sides and ends of said face, an air pocket extending inwardly of said face and around ends and one side of said opening, obliquely extending slots in said face between the ends of the air pocket and the atmosphere at the ends of said body, narrow end flanges at the ends of said opening extending to a level adjacent to but removed upwardly from the plane of said face, said one side of the opening having a narrow flange extending between said end flanges and located at a level further removed from the plane of said face than the end flanges, an auxiliary air slot parallel to and co-extensive with said air pocket and at one side thereof, passage means extending from said last slot upwardly through the body to the atmosphere, an elongated agitator of lesser width than the width of said last slot and mounted therein for fore and aft movement fromone side thereof to the other, and a dam forming the other side of said opening and having a thickness substantially equivalent to the width of said suction opening and extending throughout the length of the auxiliary air slot between the auxiliary air slot and said air pocket, said dam having its lower surface coincident with the plane of said face, said agitator engaging the surface of the rug and being of a length sufiicient to engage said dam throughout the length thereof at one position of said agitator within said slot wherein engagement of said agitator and said dam increases the resistance of the air to flow under said dam and decreases the volume of air flowing through said auxiliary air slot.

3. A suction cleaner rug tool comprising a body having lateral ends and fore and aft sides, means forming an elongated suction opening intermediate ends and sides of the body and extending upwardly therethrough, flange means surrounding said opening and an air pocket surrounding part of said opening, said body having a floor contacting face surrounding the opening, means forming an elongated slot in said face spaced laterally from the pocket in a position parallel thereto and a secondary air passage means from the slot through the body to the atmosphere, an elongated agitator having a rough side and a smooth side and having a width less than the width of the slot, said agitator being mounted in the slot for movement transversely from one side of the slot to the other whereby the transverse position of said agitator determines and regulates the direction of flow and quantity of air flowing through said secondary air passage, relatively round axial projections at the ends of the agitator and transversely slidable mountings there'- for in the body at the ends of the slot, and an abutment on one end of the agitator having at least one face adapted to operatively engage the body in non-rotatable slidable position of the agitator and wherein one of said sides of the agitator is in rug contacting position, and a lock finger movably secured to the body for swinging between a free position and a position overlying said one face whereby to lock the agitator alternatively with said one side in transversely slidable rug contacting position, said finger in free position being removed from said face and being in a position overlying the cylindrical projection whereby to confine said agitator in rotatable slidable condition and to enable rotation of the agitator alternately between a position wherein the smooth side contacts the rug to a position wherein the roughened side contacts the rug.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,025,442 Cranmer Dec. 24, 1935 2,157,077 Kroenlein May 2, 1939 2,278,382 Ross Mar. 31, 1942 2,556,022 Atiyeh June 5, 1951 2,622,263 Allen Dec. 23, 1952 2,641,015 Lovick June 9, 1953 2,706,826 Brock Apr. 26, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 1,070,154 France Feb. 17, 1954 

